‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain’ - Do the little things this St David’s Day

Today and beyond, I’m encouraging you to ‘gwnewch y pethau bychain.’ Or in English, ‘do the little things.’ Why? Because it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

But don’t just take my word for it. These are the famous words of St. David (or Dewi Sant in Welsh). And why today? Because today is March 1st, when the people of Wales celebrate their patron saint who just so happens to be a certain St. David.

So this St David’s Day, do as Dewi Sant did and ‘gwnewch y pethau bychain.’ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus! Happy St. David’s Day!

Need some inspiration on how to celebrate your Welshness? Here’s my list of little things to do.

Eat Welshcakes

You can’t celebrate Wales and not indulge in some Welshcakes. Want to start a new family tradition on St David’s Day and bake your own? Here’s an easy recipe for you.

Ahead of St. David’s Day, the supermarket shelves will be stacked full of Welshcakes. But there’s plenty of small local businesses you can support instead. Eleri’s Welshcakes and Mamgu Welshcakes have plenty of flavours to choose from. Even for those of you who don’t enjoy the traditional raisins. Plus there's also a stall in Bridgend Indoor Market - Bridgend Bakestones that sell Welshcakes and

Bara Brith.

If you haven’t got a sweet tooth, there’s other Welsh delicacies, such as cawl and rarebit, that can allow you to get involved in the indulgence, too.

Welsh word to learn: Pice ar y maen - Welshcakes

Take a step back in time at a Welsh castle

As St. David is a figure embedded in the history of Cymru, there’s no better time to revisit the history of Cymru than on his day of celebration. Step back in time and revisit the stories of old at a Welsh castle. You won’t be short of options with 427 of them to choose from! Take your pick from Cadw’s list.

Or, better still, you can pay homage to Dewi Sant at his resting place in the very city named after him. If you’re in Pembrokeshire, head down to the magnificent St. David’s Cathedral in St. David’s city and follow in the footsteps of the man himself.

Welsh word to learn: Hanes - History

Treat yourself to Welsh home decor

In the words of Cerys Matthews and Catatonia, “Everyday when I wake up, I thank the Lord I’m Welsh.” Celebrating your culture and identity doesn’t have to be reserved for sporting occasions and St. David’s Day. That’s why my home is plastered with Welsh decor, prints and quotes to enjoy throughout the year.

Explore the opportunity to permanently bring that Welshness into your home with these

Welsh decor ideas.

Welsh word to learn: Hiraeth - Unable to be translated. It means a deep longing for something. Perhaps a home, nostalgia or Wales itself.

Go Daffodil spotting

Daffodils are in abundance on throughout the month of March. This is rather timely with these being Wales’ National flower and March 1st being St. David’s Day.

Get out there, stretch the legs and enjoy our beautiful country with some daffodil spotting. From the mountains to the coast, the National Trust has plenty of walks you can enjoy

Welsh word to learn: Cennin pedr - Daffodils

Give someone a lovespoon

Flowers and chocolate are too mainstream. In Wales, we prefer to give the ones we love a spoon. The tradition of carving and gifting a lovespoon in Wales dates back years. But we like to keep these traditions alive.

This St David’s Day, in true Welsh tradition, gift the one you love a lovespoon

Welsh word to learn: Cariad - Love

Fly the Welsh dragon

When your country has a flag with a massive red dragon on it, do you really need an excuse to fly it? Nope! But there’s no better day to unfurl “Y Ddraig Goch” (or the Red Dragon in English) and celebrate being Welsh than on St David’s Day.

Going to throw a curveball here. Did you know that St David has his own flag? In complete contrast to the red, white and green of the Welsh dragon, it’s a yellow cross on a black background. And no need to choose between them, add the St David’s cross to your collection and fly them both!

Welsh word to learn: Y Ddraig Goch - The Welsh Dragon

Listen to Welsh music

We’ve all belted out traditional Welsh songs such as “Calon Lan,” “Sosban Fach” and even more recently “Yma o Hyd.” And there’s no reason not to do so again this St. David’s Day.

But did you know there are modern musicians and bands producing Welsh language today? Here’s a Spotify playlist which celebrates Welsh music, with some bilingual tracks, too.

Welsh word to learn: Cerddoriaeth - Music

Hopefully this list has inspired you to “gwnewch y pethau bychain” and celebrate our unique traditions that make us completely and unapologetically Welsh.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus i chi! Happy St. David’s Day to you all!